Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Bob Sapp
The X Factor: Throughout Sokoudjou’s career, conditioning has cost him multiple fights he was otherwise winning. While Sapp is hardly a supremely conditioned athlete, if Sokoudjou hits empty early, there is no telling how he will react to suddenly being outgunned against a man who can bench press him as a warm-up. Sokoudjou remains the favorite and with good reason, but his cardio has kept him from many a win, and it could just as easily keep him from a victory everyone has assumed was his.
* * * The Bottom Line: As easy as it is to imagine Sokoudjou turning into a sputtering mess after a few minutes of effort, it is even easier to imagine Sapp tapping out before Sokoudjou’s tank reads empty. An early judo trip and some ground-and-pound will be all it takes for Sokoudjou to give Sapp a second early exit from the tournament. Unfortunately, that will do nothing to stop Sapp from recording another Japanese pop album.